


Hand in Hand

by ami_ven



Category: Firefly
Genre: Community: writerverse, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-12
Updated: 2014-11-12
Packaged: 2018-02-25 02:18:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2604953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jayne and River go for a stroll…</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hand in Hand

**Author's Note:**

> written for LJ community "writerverse" prompt "hold my hand" (past tense, 500+ words)

The last girl Jayne could remember holding hands with had been his mama. His hands had been so much smaller, then, and hers had seemed so big and strong when she’d closed her fingers around his.

Mama had held his hand the whole train ride out to the space port, on the day he’d left. Jayne let her, because while he knew he’d be sending every coin he could spare back to his family, he couldn’t be sure he would ever make it back himself. He had held on tight for a moment, feeling familiar calluses beneath his fingers, before he kissed her cheek and left, looking for the first ship leaving atmo that needed a crew.

After that, Jayne never really trusted anyone enough to get friendly. The ships he flew moved around a lot, didn’t really make it easy to find himself a steady girl. 

Near about every world in the ‘verse had its ‘homes of ill-repute’, though, so Jayne could always count on a place to get some sexin’. But his mama had taught him respect, and he only took from the girls what his coin paid for— he didn’t try to kiss ‘em or hold their hands, or make ‘em pretend he was more than just another customer.

On this planet, though, Jayne walked right past the whore house, without even a glance. He’d done that on the last few worlds, now he thought about it. Longer than he’d thought it had been, but then, he wasn’t the same man he’d been then, the one who only thought about the coin he’d get from the next job. Somehow, this motley crew of theirs had become more than just a job, and certain people, certain small, crazy people had become, maybe, even more than that…

Jayne almost jumped when slender fingers slid into his and a warm body pressed against his side. “ _Gorram_ , Crazy—”

“Her approach was far from silent,” River said, laughing. “He was merely too preoccupied to hear her.”

“Was not,” he said, which they both knew was a lie, and laced their fingers together. “And I thought you were helpin’ Kaylee find new engine parts.”

“Negotiations have been concluded. She has been given her share of local currency and told to have fun.”

“Oh, yeah?” said Jayne.

“Two by two,” said River. “Zoe will stay with _Serenity_. Kaylee and Brother Boob will share a meal together. Inara and Captain-Daddy will go to a museum— do not laugh, Man-Named-Jayne.”

“Weren’t laughing,” he said, which was another obvious lie. “Two by two, and you came ‘n found me?”

“Precisely. There are many gardens here, and she wishes to stroll.”

Jayne shifted their hands, tucking hers into the crook of his elbow and covering it with his own. “Lead the way, darlin’.”

The flowers on this world _were_ somethin’ to see, Jayne supposed, but the thing he remembered most, long after they’d sailed back into the black, was the feeling of River’s hand in his, like it belonged.

THE END


End file.
